Elevator-truck.



. R. METZ.

ELEVATOR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED fm2, 191e.

Pamnted May 29, 19W.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Kigali,

VV. R. METZ.

ELEVATGR TRUCK.

w APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1916. m flg@ Patented May 29, 19H.

d 'SSHEETs-SHEU 2.

W R- METZ.

ELEVATOR TRUCK.

Q .b APPL`ICATION FILED FEB. 2. I9l6. Lf@ men-m May 29@ mw.

3 SHEETLSHEET 3l titl liti

dll

' vsanrnn n; nnen, or vvasnrn'eron, nrsrnrcr or containers, asstenon or cnn-nant" ro stenen n. nnnnnnrns, or entament, aanstaan.

ntnvaroarnnon.

specification of Letters Patent Patented May 239, ltt'.,

.application tled February 3,19%., serial lilo. 75,63%.

have invented nevv and useful improvements in Elevator-Trucks, ot which the following is a specication.

1rthe present invention relates to trucks, and particularly to tiering trucks, so-called tor the reason that they are ordinarily used tor tiering or piling commodities in vvarehouses, store-rooms and the like, such trucks being characterized loy a platform vvhich may be raised and lowered, so that 1t can he readily lowered to tloor position to receive the load and then elevated to the top of the .pile or lshelzt on which the load is to loe stored avvay.

llt has :lor its object to provide a coni-v paot and e'ocient construction which will have the requisite rigidity and stability and in vvlnich` the elevating'naotor and the current connections are so disposed as to secure the greatest etliciency lout Without any inconvenience to the Workmen or handlers ot the truck.

@ther noveldetails of construction and arrangement ot parte vvill loe pointed out hereinafter, and those features Which ll regard as novel and ol my invention Will loe expressed in the appended claims.

lln the dravvingsf- Figure l is 'a side elevation et an elevator truck construction in accordance with the principles ot my invention.

Fig. 2 is .a front elevational view ot the elevator trame, the vievv being taken through the hase or truck trame iediately in trent et the elevator traine.

lgt-l is a top plan vievv ot the vertically movable elevator.

ewig. t is a sectional vievv talren on line' llig. l is an elevational vievv ot the top p hearing for the screw-shaft.

llig 8 is a sectional view ot the stephearingwhich receives the lovver end ot the screvvshalt lzlig. 9 is an elevational vier? ot the swivel nut and hearings therefor..

lBig. l is a top plan vievv et the svvivel nut.

Fig. ll is a detail vievv ol one torni of take-up reel for the iienihle connections leading to the motor.

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

.like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, l@ denotes the lease or truck trarne which is constructed preferably of angle iron and provided at one end with supporting Wheels ll journaled in hearing plates l2 secured to the truck trame. At the opposite or front end ot the truck trame l provide supporting posts 13 on "which the truck and its supported parte will rest when in use, as -shovvn in Fig. l, this arrangenient giving; a stable condition to the track and preventing any shitting ot the saine on its Wheels when loeing loaded or nnloaded. ln order the truck may he readily elevated so that can loe drawn about the floor, l provide the Wheel ldinounted at the iront ot the truclr trame in a` -pivoted yoli'e l5 rotatahly carried in a journal it, which pivoted yolre carries the handle li", which., When the truck is at rest will occupy the full line position shown in liig. l, but when the handle is thrown torvvard to the dotted line position to dravv the truck, the yoke 'will .act as a lever, and loy means ot the Wheel elevate the front end ofi the trucl,litting the posts i3 trono the door and perniitting` it to he readily drawn.

llJlounted on suitable cross-hars in the truclr traine is a motor i8, preferably oit the electric type, as shown, which niotor Jlurnishes the povver tor moving the elevator presently to loe described. The motor shalt is provided with a gear Wheel i9 which' meshes with a gear splined or lteyed to a screw-shaft 2l, `which scre'W-shatt is mounted at its lovver end in a step-hearing secured to a cross-piece` 22 on the truclt trarne and at its u er end is mounted a till nel iron as shown and comprises the uprights 25 suitably held by cross struts 26 so as to give al rigid elevator frame,` and the said screw shaft 21 is preferably located centrally with respect tob the elevator frame.

The step bearing for the lower end of.

shaft 21 preferably comprises a bearing box or casing 27 having in its bottom a block 28 having a concave seat and receives a convexed face bearing block 29 which has oir its upper surface a ball-race to receive the ball-bearings 30, there being a second bearing member 31 which rests upon the balls 30 and has a sleeve 32 depending downwardly through an opening inthe member 29, so that an open Shaft-receiVing recess or well is provided in which the lower end of the shaft 21 may be stepped, so as to give a stable engagement between the shaft and bearing. The lower end of the shaft 21 is reduced where it enters the bearing, and the shoulder 33 rests upon the upper member of the bearing, as shown in Fig. 8, so that as the shaft is turned the ball-bearings will be revolved and undesirable friction eliminated. l preferably inclose the top' of this bearing with the cover plate 34 so that a close, practically tight bearing is provided, the Oear Wheel 2O practically covering the ori ce in' the plate 34. By making the bearing inclosed in this Way, I can fill the same with lubricant which will be retained and will suf ficiently lubricate the arts to permit an easy rotation and rocking of the bearing, the shaft-receiving well extending downwardly to the bottom and preferably into the casing 27 to furnish a reservoir of some capacity for lubricant.

rlhe shaft 2l is threaded, as shown, throughout its length and engages a nut 35 mounted in swivel bearings 36 on the vertically movable elevator1 so that the nut as it travels up and down on the shaft'will accommodate itself to any slight distortion or tilting of the shaft and danger of jamming is eliminated. y

The nut 35, as stated, is carried by the elevator `which comprises a frame preferably |l.shape, and which is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. rllhe elevatorhas horizontal and upright portions, the horizontal portion forming the bed or platform for` the load, while theffupright or vertical portion is positioned in the elevator frame and travels up and down in the channels of the truck uprights 25, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and serves to guide and support the elevator platform and its load. 'lhe upright or vertical portion of the elevator is forlned of channel iron side pieces 37 tied together by, cross struts 38, and preferably on the outside of the vertical limbs of the elevator are mounted channels of t e frame uprights 25. The

ide wheels 39 fitted to thev warnte bed of the elevator is formed of channel iron 40, the flanges of which are preferablQ inwardly turned as shown in detail in l' 4, and to these channel iron sidefrarnes are secured the plates 41 having the open bearings 42 to receive the gudgeons 43, of the load receiving rolls 44,l which are of sullicient diameter to project slightly above the framework of the load bed, as shown in Fig. 1. 'lliis construction makes a ifery cheap but eicient bed for the elevator, for the channel iron may be readily cut and assembled,l and the bearing plates with their open bearings may be cast and readily assembled with the channel irons. ln order to prevent the rolls becoming displaced or removedby careless workmen, l mount the bearing plates 41 in such relation to the inturned flanges of the channel iron frame that the rolls cannot be lifted out after the structure is assembled, although they are readily accessible for oiling or cleaning the bearings if this be desirable. H lln order Athat the elevator may be guided between its limits of movement, it is, of course, necessary to extendthe uprights 25 of the frame toa point considerably above the llimit of movement of the bed or plat- "form of the elevator, the upright or vertical part of the elevator necessitatin this extension ofthe truck frame uprig ts. A'lhis frame may be locked in its upright'position by any suitable locking means as, for example, the locking pins 46 which pass through the meeting flanges of the two hinged parts.

Aln order that power may be conveniently supplied to the motor 13 the current con-l ,ne a starting box 47, conventionally shown,

nections extend upwardly from the motor to which box has the usual controller handle for throwing the power onor 0H'. From the controller box the connection runs to a takeup reel 48 having rings 49 with which brushes 50 contact, this reel in turn having coiled thereon. the Hexible conductor 551 having suitable connection with the rings 49 and to the end of which is attached the usual plug adapted to he inserted in any power socket. 'llhe drum or reel 48 is preferabl provided with a coiled spring 52, so that it will take up slack or give 0H the dexible conductor as may be needed, and is preferably located at a point above the hinges 45 so as to be at a height above the ordinary `worlrman and thus the workmen may pass lreadily beneath it and the annoyance of trailing the Lvcurrent connections which might hamper the workmen' is done away with. llt is, of course,

llll

mama@ understood that any other form of reel of the takeup type may be used.- Stops 53am provided to engage cross struts 26 of the hinged portion of the elevator frame to prevent injury to the reel when the hinged portion is in lowered position.

With this arrangement for supplying current, it will be seen that the conductor can be plugged in at any convenient point, and thereafter theitruck may be readily moved from place toplace, unreeling or taking up the slack on the spring drum as required, and the necessity of unplugging from one socket and plugging in at another as the truck is moved about is entirely done away with.

It will be observed -that the truck frame l0 is of skeleton or of open form beneath the elevator, so that the bed or platform of the elevator will drop within the truck frame and level therewith when it is lowered, thus reducing the height of the truck to av minimum. s

Trucks made in accordance with my invention may be cheaply produced and at the same time a very rigid, easily manipulated tiering truck is provided.

It is obvious that such changes as are Within the skill of the mechanic may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

lWhat I claim is l. In an elevator truck, a base frame, an upright elevator frame having an4 upper hinged portion adapted to be turned down into lowered position, a vertically movable platform carried by said elevator frame, an electric motor for raising and lowering said platform, a take-up reelmounted on the upper hinged portion of said elevator frame and above the height of the Workmen, connections between said take-u electric motor, and a flexi le connection wound upon said take-up reel.

2. In an elevator truck, a base frame, an elevator frame having an upper hinged porreel and said tion adapted to be turned down into lowered position, a vertically movable platform carried by said elevator frame, an electric motor for raising and lowering said platform, a take-up reel on the upper hinged portion of said elevator frame and above the height of the workmen, connections between said takeup reel and said electric motor, a exible connection adapted to be wound upon said take-up reel, and stops on said elevator frame to prevent injury to said reel when said hinged portion is in lowered position.

3. In an elevator truck, a base frame formed of angle iron, an elevator frame comprising opposed channeled upright members secured at their lower ends to said base frame, means for connecting said upright members, a hinged portion on the upper end of said elevator frame adapted to be turned down .into lowered position, a vertically movable platform frame formed of channel iron and having a horizontal bed section to receive articles to be elevated and a vertical section operating in said elevator frame, rollers on said bed-section, rollers on the side of the vertical section of said platform frame engaging between the anges of the channels of the upright members of the elevator frame, a screw-.shaft located centrally between the upright members of the elevator frame, an anti-friction bearing on Said base frame for receiving the lower end of said screw-shaft, and a bearing adjacent the top of said elevator frame for receiving the upper end of said screw-shaft, an electric motor on said base frame, and a connection between said electric motor and screw-shaft for rotating the screw-shaft to move the platform frame vertically.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of a subscribing witness.

WAL'IER R. METZ.

t Witness lGrnirrizunn M. STUoKnR.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in'Letters Patent No.1,227,646, granted May 29, 1917, upon the ppllicetion of Walter R. Metz, of Washington,

District of Columbia, for an improvement in Elevator-Trucks, was erroneously Written and printed as GeorgeM.DreXe1ius, Whereas said neme should have been Written end printed as George W. Drexeltus; and that the said Letters Ptent should be read with this correction .therein that the same may conform `to the record of the oase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of August, A. 1) 1920.

[SEAL] M. H. COULSTON,

VActtng Commissioner of Patents.

Correction n Letters Patent No.`1,227,646. f

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in Letters Patent N 0.1,227 ,646, granted May 29, 1917, upon the application of Walter R. Metz, of .Washingtony District of Columbia, for an improvement in Elevator-Trucks, Was erroneously Written and printed as George M. Drexelius, Whereas said name should have been Written and printed as George WL Drexehus; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oioe.

Signed and sealed-this 10th day of August, A. D., 1920.

[SEAL] M. H. COULSTON,

Acting] omm'issoner of Patents. Cl. l87-9. 

